Water is typically supplied by a water provider which is usually a municipality. Water providers deliver water to businesses and individuals via piping systems. A piping system could be an upstream piping system, including a system to carry water from a water provider to a meter, or a downstream piping system, including a system to carry water from a meter to a user terminal. Because water providers typically sell water by unit volume, there exists a need to measure water flow to a user terminal to generate a water bill. As used herein, user terminal may include an individual residence, a place of business or any other point of termination of the water flow. Typically, a water meter will be placed in the water supply line between the water source and the user terminal to measure all water flowing to that user terminal. Meters are read and checked against prior readings to determine the total flow of water to the user terminal.
When a water user has not provided payment for water already used, it is typical in the industry for a water provider to discontinue supplying water to the user terminal associated with the water user. Typically, a water provider will install a manual water supply valve in the supply line in anticipation of the need to discontinue water supply. Although the valve may be operated rarely, a manual valve is standard equipment for water providers.
Typically, water meters are read manually by water meter readers who are employees or contractors of the water providers. Additionally, it is also typical that water supply valves are manually operated by employees or contractors of the water providers. These manual operations associated with providing water represent a significant cost of a typical water provider. With the advent of wireless technology, water providers have sought methods and systems for remote reading of water meters and/or remote control of water supply valves.
Mesh networks for remote reading of water meters exist currently. Systems for remotely controlling the water supply valve exist currently. However, these systems are often cumbersome to implement, requiring excavation and replacement of water supply lines to implement a remotely controlled water supply valve. Electronic remote control of valves and reading of meters has been implemented through wired connections. While wireless systems for controlling valves or for reading meters do exist, the cast ferrous materials used to make most water meter housings can interfere with wireless signals, so the wireless equipment often cannot be placed in close proximity to typical meter housings. Moreover, a remotely controlled valve typically involves a separate system and apparatus from a remotely readable water meter. Systems that integrate a shutoff valve and water meter together are often too large to be installed without excavation of the water supply lines and are typically difficult to service if parts fail. Some systems designed to fit into the standard water meter lay-length of a water meter provide inordinate head loss through the system and provide only remote control of the valve and no ability to read the meter remotely. Moreover, wireless water supply valves typically have relatively short operative lives because their operation requires large amounts of energy.